The present invention relates generally to an article of footwear, and in particular to a footwear component for an article of footwear.
Inserts for articles of footwear have been previously proposed. Cort (U.S. Pat. No. 1,697,589) teaches a shoe with an inner sole blank. Cort teaches that the inner sole blank is first split from its heel end to form lower and upper laminations. A cushioning member comprises a soft sponge rubber and is inserted into the split.
Dardinski et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,470) teaches a shoe footbed system. Dardinski teaches a footbed that can include a stiffening member. The stiffening member can be made from one or more different materials including thermoplastic urethane (TPU), EVA or nylon.
The related art lacks provisions for accommodating the natural bending of the foot, especially near the toes of the foot. There is a need for a design that addresses this problem of the related art.